Mayor Livio Tola told the town's high school and elementary school to return to using cables to connect to the internet after reading that the electromagnetic waves given off by wireless routers were especially harmful to young children.

"It's not that we're against technology, our choice is merely a precautionary measure," La Stampa reported the mayor as saying.

"We cannot say with certainty if these electromagnetic waves are dangerous for children or not," he added, acknowledging that there was still a lack of scientific consensus on the issue.

The World Health Organization has recognized the "anxiety and speculation" surrounding electromagnetic field exposure, but is still investigating its possible health affects.

But some studies have suggested that electromagnetic radiation given off by wireless routers can affect the development of cells in young children, enough to convince Tola to shut Wi-Fi off in the two schools in the town of 3,800 inhabitants.

"Who knows? In 20 years' time some people might thank us for it," the mayor added.

But the controversial decision prompted a backlash from councillors and some parents, who argue that even if wireless signals prove to be harmful, the measure will do little to protect the town's children.

They also argue that it prevents wireless devices, such as tablets, being used in classes as educational tools.

Ex-mayor Fausto Francisca slammed the decision as short-sighted, explaining that the town's children are already exposed to electromagnetic waves from a myriad of different sources each day, such as their mobile phones and Wi-Fi connections at home.

"What's the point? We already have Wi-Fi in two of the town's squares and in our library, places where children also spend a lot of time," Francisca said.

Reader Comments

The principle that the introduction of a new product or process whose ultimate effects are disputed or unknown should be resisted. It has mainly been used to prohibit the importation of genetically modified organisms and food.

"The precautionary principle or precautionary approach to risk management states that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is not harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those taking an action.

The principle is used by policy makers to justify discretionary decisions in situations where there is the possibility of harm from making a certain decision (e.g. taking a particular course of action) when extensive scientific knowledge on the matter is lacking. The principle implies that there is a social responsibility to protect the public from exposure to harm, when scientific investigation has found a plausible risk. These protections can be relaxed only if further scientific findings emerge that provide sound evidence that no harm will result.

In some legal systems, as in the law of the European Union, the application of the precautionary principle has been made a statutory requirement in some areas of law.

The moronic "arguments" of the wi-fi proponents are just hilarious. "that it prevents wireless devices, such as tablets, being used in classes as educational tools. " isn't arguments at all, merely a restatement of the original.
"the town's children are already exposed to electromagnetic waves from a myriad of different sources each day, such as their mobile phones and Wi-Fi connections at home. " - let's add cadmium to their dinners too! they're already exposed to it in the car tyre dust.

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so
certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.
- Bertrand Russel (is it possible to be intelligent and stupid at the same time?)

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so
certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.
- Bertrand Russel (is it possible to be intelligent and stupid at the same time?)

The lower half of the IQ curve always make the most noise."

Sorry, but I cannot find any support for what you say here.
There is no wise man full of doubt - that is a contradiction in itself.
Bertrand Russell stands in a chain with Jeremy Bentham and the likes-
an utterly disgusting figure in human history.

The lower half of the IQ curve does not make a lot of noise, they ignore the noise of the
"educated worrywarts" as good as they can and stick to their own stuff.
The only noise I can detect is when they are having a ball or are agitated, but even that is rare.

Negative reaction to WiFi or electromagnetic fields is real to some and it's no laughing matter. I laud Mayor Tola for at least shutting down WiFi to the schools. The move lessens the exposure of EMF to the children while they are at school. The precautionary measure is a smart move! We are all different, making our reaction to things and situations different. So, while some are adversely affected by electromagnetic waves, radio waves, etc., some are not. A person should not scoff at something they know very little about.

The most successful tyranny is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities, that makes it seem inconceivable that other ways are viable, that removes the sense that there is an outside.